Chapter 149: Kinana’s Family

"Oh, through that door."

"You were the one chosen!"

"Chosen is probably not the right word. It just happened that way. His grandfather entrusted him to me, or rather, I agreed to have him serve as my contracted monster for a limited period in exchange for doing him a favor."

When Qiu Nuoya explained the circumstances to Kinana, she gave him a complicated look.

"You’re something else. I’ve been working as a Special Lifeform Protection Staff for quite some time, but I’ve never met anyone like you."

"You’re a Special Lifeform Protection Staff too, Kinana?"

"Yes. I’ve always had a knack for attracting monsters, so I consider this job my calling. But I’ve never protected a truly special monster like yours. At most, I protect slightly unusual monsters and send them to the Elysium."

"Ha ha, you’re being modest. Kinana is incredible. The very first monster she ever tamed was the divine beast Baekho."

"Baekho!?"

The one who spoke up before Qiu Nuoya could say anything was Warren, who had been standing quietly behind him.

"Is Baekho really that amazing?"

"Of course it is. If dragons are said to be the rulers of the sky, and Imoogi the rulers of the sea, then Baekho is known as the ruler of the land. It’s a monster of that caliber. They’re proud creatures and don’t attack people without reason, so there are even places where they’re worshipped like gods."

Ah, so that’s why Baekho is called a divine beast.

Qiu Nuoya had never seen one before, but he found the idea fascinating and wanted to see one for himself. And for Kinana to have such a Baekho as her companion, she really was incredible!

Qiu Nuoya looked at her with admiration, but Kinana gave him an awkward smile. "There’s a slight misunderstanding there. I wasn’t Baekho’s master. Baekho is my parent and sibling."

"Huh? Your parent and sibling? Baekho is...?" Qiu Nuoya tilted his head in confusion.

Kinana smiled and said, "I was raised by Baekho."

Apparently, she had been an abandoned child left behind in the sacred forest where Baekho lived. She had been abandoned as a baby, too young to even remember her parents’ faces. Baekho had taken her in and raised her as its own child.

"It just so happened that Mother Baekho had recently given birth, so I was raised alongside her cubs. That’s why they aren’t my contracted monsters. They’re my family."

Ah, that’s nice. There’s something wonderful about that.

Qiu Nuoya had always insisted that Mochi was a member of his family, but there were many people who looked at him with amused, indulgent eyes whenever he said so. Most people saw monsters as nothing more than dangerous creatures. Tamers were somewhat similar to Qiu Nuoya in that they kept such monsters as companions, but he often felt that they viewed them only as things to profit from or subjects for research.

But Kinana called them her family. That was very close to how Qiu Nuoya felt.

"I also think of Mochi as a member of my family. We’re the same!"

"Yes, we are. You really do have the right qualities. No wonder Goldmine took a liking to you."

"See! I told you my eye for people was always reliable!"

"Ha ha, there’s no doubt about that. That’s why you’re the husband I chose, after all."

"Hm?"

"Your discerning eye was already proven when you discovered me, my dear wife."

"Hm? Hmmm?"

Husband? Wife?

"Um, could it be that the two of you are..."

"Ah, that’s right. I forgot to introduce you properly. She’s my wife, Kinana. And the girl at the reception desk was our daughter."

The branch manager’s wife?!

Wait, is the Tamer’s Guild a family business?!

Well, there had seemed to be other staff members around too, but still...

So Kinana is married...

"Come to think of it, our daughter seems to have taken quite a liking to your slime. If you don’t mind, please continue to get along with her."

"Oh, I see."

It was true that she had completely ignored Long and focused entirely on poking Mochi. Qiu Nuoya was happy that Mochi was so loved, but somehow, he had mixed feelings about it.

"How about it, young man? Why don’t you try dating our daughter?" Kinana put an arm around Qiu Nuoya’s shoulders and whispered with a slightly delighted smile.

Wait, her arm! Her chest is pressing against me!

"Um..."

"She may be a little older than you, but surely two or three years isn’t a problem, right?"

Well, that’s true! If only he were actually the age he looked!

She was probably still in her late teens, but while the daughter was certainly within his age range, it was her mother who had landed squarely in Qiu Nuoya’s type!

"Is that the kind of girl Nuoya likes?" Warren murmured quietly, trying to sound calm, but there was a faint trace of displeasure in his voice.

No, actually, I’m more interested in her mother than her daughter.

But if he says that out loud, this is going to turn into an absolute disaster. There is no way he can say it!

"I think I’m still far too inexperienced, and it’s much too early for me to start dating anyone!" Qiu Nuoya shouted as he escaped from Kinana’s arm.

The world really doesn’t go the way you want it to...

Qiu Nuoya could only sigh inwardly.

After finishing the measurements for Long under the guise of "preparing the paperwork," Goldmine looked extremely satisfied as he examined the documents. The measurements were incredibly detailed. They recorded not only his weight and length, but even the number of claws he had and all sorts of minute physical characteristics.

In contrast to Goldmine’s satisfaction, Long looked thoroughly displeased.

[ What the hell is all this? It’s as if I’m some kind of exhibit! What on earth are you planning to use this for?! ]

"They’re just the documents you normally submit to register a contracted monster. Apparently, you don’t have to submit them if you have a Tamer’s Guild employee ID, though."

[ Then what are these for...? ]

"Just souvenirs."